Survey Finds Support for Regional Cooperation (Crain's Cleveland Business, January 16, 2009) Northeast Ohio political leaders who talk about the need for greater regional cooperation might find some support for their position in a new survey by the Fund for Our Economic Future and Cleveland State University.

Bioscience Generated $148 Impact in '07 (Cincinnati Enquirer, January 14, 2009) A new snapshot of Ohio's medical and bioscience industry indicates it had a $148 billion impact on the state's economy in 2007, representing about 16 percent of the state's total economic output, and generated 1.4 million jobs.

Ohio Small Business Office Faces Challenging Second Year (Columbus Business First, January 16, 2009) Thanks to state budget cuts, the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Division of the Ohio Department of Development will have fewer resources to help Ohio businesses.

Governor Creates Position for Ohio Stimulus Funds (Fremont News-Messenger, January 16, 2009) Gov. Ted Strickland has appointed an "infrastructure czar" to help decide how Ohio should spend the money it expects to receive soon from a federal stimulus package.

Sharing Duties Initiative to Stop Government Spending Trend (Wooster Daily-Record, January 16, 2009) The sharing of administrative duties and the resulting cost savings by two local school districts are being held as a shining example of government collaboration by one philanthropic group.

Editorial: What 2009 Offers (Toledo Free Press, January 16, 2009) In 2009, the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP) sees many opportunities as well as challenges.  Overall, we believe that 2009 will be a better year than 2008 and we will see greater economic growth for our region, including greater job creation and a more robust regional economy.

Bioscience Makes Up %16 of State Output (Akron Beacon Journal, January 14, 2009) A report published by BioOhio says in 2007, nearly 16 percent of Ohio's total economic output came from the bioscience industry.  With link to full report here.

Area Cities Pinch Pennies in 2009 (Akron Beacon Journal, January 17, 2009) Local governments are pinching pennies and cutting back to deal with the lingering economic slowdown. With less money coming in local leaders say they are worried about providing services for residents and following through with capital improvements.

Meigs County Chosen for Multi-Billion Power Plant (Community Common, January 16, 2009) American Municipal Power (AMP-Ohio) and Bechtel Power Corporation are planning a coal-fired, transmission line power plant expected to generate an estimated 1,000 megawatts of power. The construction, expected to take more than four years to complete, will employ an estimated 1,600 construction workers, with 165 full-time employees and bring more than $20 million annually into the local economy.

Cuyahoga County Presses Obama for $46.3 Million in Stimulus Money for Wind Turbine Project (The Plain Dealer, January 17, 2009) Cuyahoga County commissioners pressed President-elect Barack Obama on Friday for $46.3 million in federal stimulus money that could be key to landing a wind turbine project in Lake Erie.

Editorial: Tax Overhaul Needs Revisit in Columbus (Akron Beacon Journal, January 18, 2009) It is becoming more and more apparent that Gov. Ted Strickland and our state lawmakers must revisit the massive tax overhaul of 2005. Yet, every elected official in Ohio is in denial.

WCCC Becomes Part of University System of Ohio (Springboro Sun, January 19, 2009) Warren County Career Center is a partner in the University System of Ohio, as of January 1, 2009. This partnership is a result of numerous discussions and planning sessions during the past few years with the Ohio Board of Regents, Ohio Department of Education, Ohio's Adult Education divisions, and Ohio's colleges and universities.

Battelle Upgrades R&D with $200m Investment (Outsourcing-Pharma.com, UK, January 19, 2009) Non-profit R&D organisation Battelle is investing $200m in its facilities in Ohio, which will see the company's contract research capabilities upgraded.

Experts Debate Over Ohio's Dropout Academies (Mansfield News Journal, January 19, 2009) Dropout academies had a 29.9 graduation rate during the 2006-07 school year, compared to 91.4 at public schools and 32.3 percent at charter schools.

Medical Technology Flourishing in Central Ohio (Columbus Dispatch, January 19, 2009) Saving lives also could be the way to help save Ohio's economy. Five of the nine companies that received $1.6 million in funding from TechColumbus produce medical devices.It's an area of strength in central Ohio.